Happy Easter!

A marvelous weekend. My in-laws were here on Saturday for a combined Easter and father-in-law's birthday celebration, a long, lazy day of playing with the kids and eating. We dyed Easter eggs, something I haven't done since I was a kid.


In a thoughtless moment I bought my usual brown eggs instead of white ones, so the dyes are a bit muted, but Lydia seemed to like it, quickly insisting on being allowed to dip them by herself.

The menu requested: Mini Beef Wellingtons with Gorgonzola; Yorkshire Pudding; Spinach Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette. For dessert, an exquisite cake they brought from European Bakery in ME, white layers with raspberry filling.

I had never had, let alone made, Beef Wellington before, but this recipe is relatively straightforward, and since most of it is done ahead there's no last-minute panic potential. The interior is certainly tasty, but I don't quite see the point of the pastry casing. The spinach salad is going to become a regular here; we've already had it twice. How was it they translated Coke into Chinese? "Happiness in the mouth," I think. This salad makes the mouth (and the rest of the body) a lot happier than Coke does.

On Sunday, my attempts to come up with a traditional menu had repeatedly foundered, so I went in quite a different direction: artichokes; Seared Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce, and a basic rice pilaf. I was very pleased with myself for actually achieving a brown crust on the scallops; it is, indeed, essential to make sure they're dry before putting them in the oil.